Mitch Jacoby, a senior correspondent at C and EN, notes that most 2-D materials have certain features in common: They tend to be flexible, transparent, and can be tuned more easily than their bulk counterparts. Some are electrical conductors, and others are insulators or semiconductors. However, there are some gray areas about what 2-D means. How many layers thick can they be? Do the materials need to be free standing?
While those questions are not fully resolved, researchers have forged ahead with the creation of new ultrathin films with varying properties. They largely fall into five major groups: MXenes, Xenes, organic materials, transition metal dichalcogenides and nitrides. The materials are in differing stages of development, from laboratory curiosity to demonstration devices.
Research Report: "2-D materials go beyond graphene,"
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